Key factor that influences BAC

Nowadays most people are party animal and weekends are meant for them to party harder. But did they wonder that consuming more alcohol would influence their blood alcohol concentration? Although people feel fine and are confident enough that they will be able to drive home safely, but it is important to assess whether it’s worth enjoying another cocktail since it will increase the blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) measures the amount of alcohol present in the blood, based on the volume of alcohol consumed over a given period of time. While some may choose to count drinks or use calculators to guess their BAC, you should be aware that a substantial number of variables influence it, making this method of BAC-estimation not only erroneous but downright dangerous.

The blood alcohol content can be measured within 30 to 70 minutes of consumption. Approximately one-half ounce of alcohol can be found in one shot of distilled spirits, one 12-ounce beer or one 5-ounce glass of wine.

The legal drinking age in India and the laws which regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol vary significantly from state to state. In India, consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the states of Bihar, Gujarat and Nagaland as well as the union territory of Lakshadweep. There is a partial ban on alcohol in some districts of Manipur. All other Indian states permit alcohol consumption but fix a legal drinking age, which ranges at different ages per region. In some states, the legal drinking age can be different for different types of alcoholic beverage. In India, the blood alcohol content (BAC) legal limit is 0.03% or 30 µl alcohol in 100 ml blood.

So before you can properly assess whether it’s worth the risk to have another drink before you need to drive home or embark to your next destination, it’s vital to understand, which factors affect your BAC.

Let’s take a look at which of the following is a key factor that influences bac:

Age – Age matters in everything especially when it comes to our health. As you age, the intoxicating effects of alcohol become increasingly pronounced.

Gender – Bac affects differently with different gender as male and female bodies are not similar. Since alcohol is highly water soluble it affects more on the female body because women generally have a lower water content in their bodies than men, they usually reach a higher BAC if they consume alcohol at a similar rate to their male counterparts, even if they are the same age and weight. Women also have a lower quantity of an enzyme in their stomachs that breaks down alcohol than men.

The rate of Consumption – We meet different people at parties when some will be seen consuming alcohol faster while some enjoy their cocktail slowly but it also has a connection with your BAC. The faster you consume alcohol, the faster your BAC will rise.

Drink Strength – Drinking capacity varied with different people and their digestion strength. The more alcohol a drink contains, the more will end up in your bloodstream. Also if someone is showing signs of an alcohol overdose: get them help as soon as possible. Don’t try to treat the person yourself, just stay with them, and keep them awake until medical help arrives.

Fat/Muscle Content – Fatty tissue is low in water content and cannot absorb alcohol, and the alcohol must remain in the bloodstream until the liver can break it down. However, tissues that are higher in water content, such as muscle, do absorb alcohol. Hence BAC will usually be higher in the person with more body fat. The calories hiding in each standard drink can vary depending on beverage choice and the added ingredients. Each standard size drink always contains about 0.6 fluid ounces of “pure” alcohol. Twelve ounces of regular beer, 5 oz. of wine and a 1.5-oz. shot of 80-proof hard liquor contains approximately the same amount of alcohol and each count as a single standard drink.

Metabolism – “Metabolic tolerance” varies from person to person as some people have faster metabolism while some have slower and it also describes the rate at which alcohol is processed by the body. Alcohol is absorbed throughout the gastrointestinal tract, but more slowly in the stomach than in the small or large intestine. For this reason, alcohol consumed with food is absorbed more slowly, because it spends a longer time in the stomach. So, a person’s bac will go down if they have a faster metabolism rate of about .015 BAC per hour although BAC goes down through the natural process of metabolism no one can speed up their metabolism speed.

Emotional State – In this urban world people carries more stress in their regular activities due to which it can cause your body to divert blood from your stomach and small intestines to your muscles, and slow down the rate of absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. When you calm down and your blood flows normally again, you may experience a surge in your BAC. Being under stress causes alcohol to metabolize faster.

Medications – Many medications react negatively with alcohol, including cold or allergy pills and prescription drugs. They can intensify the effects of alcohol and even endanger your health. If you are taking meds, check the product labels for alcohol warnings, or consult your doctor or pharmacist before you drink.

Carbonation – Carbonated drinks such as sparkling wine or champagne, or mixed drinks with sodas may increase the rate at which alcohol passes through your stomach and result in a higher BAC. People generally avoid such things and prefer to have mixers though but it can harm your body badly so which of the following things are true about energy drinks and mixers:

When an alcoholic drink was mixed with a carbonated mixer, the results showed that the pace of absorption of alcohol increased. Most of the diet mixes are carbonated, and they can irritate the belly lining. Also, the carbonation in the mixer increases the rate of absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

Also, the existence of caffeine from energy beverages does not reduce the intoxication rate. Caffeine just helps to keep a person awake who could have transferred out because of the alcoholic beverages levels in the torso. In fact, the individual is distributed by it a false perception to be not drunk.

Diabetes – Alcohol can affect the glucose levels of people who have diabetes and cause hypoglycemia. Diabetics should consult their doctors about drinking alcohol and avoid drinking on an empty stomach.

Alcohol Intolerance – Alcohol may cause adverse reactions in some, including flushing of the skin, nasal congestion, elevated heart rate, and reduced blood pressure. Alcohol intolerance is caused by a “genetic condition in which the body is unable to break down alcohol. Most healthy people metabolize about one 5-ounce drink per hour. Well if someone who wants to pace their drinking habit could try a very basic rule of thumb may be to try not to drink more than a single alcoholic beverage in that time period. However, it’s difficult to predict how quickly an average person is likely to get drunk since a number of factors play a part including gender, race, overall health, medications you take, as well as what you eat and which poison you pick.

Body Types- Another important factor to consider when trying to estimate how high your BAC will be is your body type. As a rule of thumb, the less you weigh, the more alcohol consumption will affect your body and BAC. The reason being that heavier people tend to have more water in their bodies, which helps dilute alcohol, thereby reducing their BAC. As such, heavier individuals will typically have a lower number than thinner drinkers, even when they drink the same amount of alcohol.

Male Vs. Female- Additionally, your sex could play a major role in determining how alcohol is absorbed by your body. Although people have this misconception if a male and a female who weigh the same consume the same amount of alcohol but no! Females will typically have a higher BAC than males because your BAC is affected by your percentage of body fat, and since women tend to have more body fat than men, their alcohol consumption will lead to a higher overall number. Further, dehydrogenase, the enzyme that absorbs alcohol is less prevalent in women than it is men. Dehydrogenase works before alcohol becomes part of the bloodstream, meaning that a woman drinking cocktails will process more alcohol into their bloodstream than males. Consequently, even if a woman and a man share the same height and weight and drink the same amount of alcohol, the effects of the drinking will typically be greater for the woman and lead to a higher BAC.

Binge Drinking- Rapid binge drinking is especially dangerous because the victim can ingest a fatal dose before becoming unconscious or exhibiting many of the other signs of alcohol poisoning. Binge drinking is a style of drinking that is popular in several countries worldwide and overlaps somewhat with social drinking since it is often done in groups.

Duration- Generally speaking, the faster you consume alcohol, the higher your BAC will be. Conversely, if you’ve consumed your drinks slowly over a long period of time, your BAC will not be as high. Think of it this way: if Person A drinks 5 beers in an hour while Person B drinks 5 beers over a 3 hour period, Person A will undoubtedly have a higher BAC even though they consumed the same amount of alcohol. In the past, you may have been told something along the lines of “drink coffee” or “take a shower” to sober up. However, the truth is only time will eliminate alcohol and its effects, and reduce your BAC. Also having alcohol for a longer period of time can lead to alcohol overdose and in some cases, alcohol poisoning leads to excessive dehydration, which may even cause seizures. Lowered body temperature or feeling cold to the touch and additionally, there are some key signs of an alcohol overdose which include:

key signs of an alcohol overdose include

Lapsing into unconsciousness

Slow heart rate

Shallow or slow breathing

Clammy hands and feet

Vomiting and nauseousness

Confusion or blackout

Alcohol with Energy Drink- Well it might sound really cool but in reality, it is a deadly combination. Energy drinks may make you feel like you can stay out all night, but mixed with alcohol can influence your BAC by lowering your blood alcohol level. Alcohol is a depressant, i.e. it slows down the brain’s functions and acts as a sedative. That’s why when you drink a lot, you might experience slurred speech, have slower reflexes and feel sleepy. Energy drinks, however, contain a lot of caffeine and acts as a stimulant. When you mix them together, you’ll feel the stimulant effects of the caffeine more strongly, and this masks the way alcohol slows down your reaction time, memory and other processes in the brain.

Food Intake- Lastly, the amount of food in your stomach when you begin drinking will drastically influence your BAC. More specifically, drinking on an empty stomach will cause you to become intoxicated quicker, which will lead to a higher number as alcohol is absorbed throughout the gastrointestinal tract, but more slowly in the stomach than in the small or large intestine. For this reason, alcohol consumed with food is absorbed more slowly, because it spends a longer time in the stomach.

According to a study performed by Swedish scientists in which they had their group drink after an overnight fast, and then drink a different day after they ate a typical breakfast. Unsurprisingly, they found that not only did the presence of food slow down the intoxication process, it also considerably lowered their BAC levels by about 70% (on average). Point being, if you’re planning on drinking and driving later in the evening, it’s prudent to fill up on a meal beforehand to keep your BAC level down and also keep your stomach full while having alcohol which decreases the chances of an alcohol overdose.

Conclusion- DWI and DUI charges happen to people of all ages, races and socioeconomic statuses. The best way people can help prevent their bacs from rising to dangerous levels by avoiding a DWI or DUI charge is to be proactive and learn as much as you can about the factors that affect your BAC and to know how alcohol personally affects your body. With all these factors influencing your BAC, you should never rely on counting drinks or using calculators to make an important decision. So it is better to keep the alcohol consumption level as minimal as possible to keep your blood alcohol level on the track.

which of the following is true about drinking and driving ?

if under 21, it is illegal to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in one’s blood system & driving can be impaired even after just one drink.

How much alcohol is in wine ?

Wines contain anywhere from 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent alcohol.

How much percentage of alcohol in beer ?

In the United States, one “standard” drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5%alcohol. 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol. 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol.

After people have been drinking..?

Leaving early won’t sober you up, alcohol will need at least 3 hrs to breakdown in your system before you’ll be decent to drive. Of course it does vary in time from person to person

which of the following is true about energy drinks and mixers:

A sweet taste can hide the taste of alcohol which result in consuming more alcohol.

which of the following things are generally true about alcohol advertisements:

They target our expectations and perceptions about drinking, men and women in the exact same ways.